Bemidji, Moorhead athletes take first-day leads

Conference athletes head for home stretch today at Swisher

Conference athletes head for home stretch today at Swisher

April 29, 2008|By Ryan Deal, rdeal@aberdeennews.com

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Multi-Event Championships was pushed back one day, but the athletes still pulled off some solid marks on Monday. The competition was scheduled for Sunday and Monday. Due to weather it was moved to Monday and will conclude today at Swisher Field. Leading the men's decathlon is Zac Preble of Bemidji State University with 3,464 points. “Zac's marks are probably ahead of where he was and he is ranked sixth in the nation right now,” Northern State track coach Jim Fuller said, “and he is ahead of where he was when he got that score.” Ashley Roemer of Minnesota State-Moorhead is leading the women's heptathlon with 2,869 points after day one. “Roemer first day score that is pretty big,” Fuller said. “She is really solid right now. She is looking at a national qualifying mark right now. So that is real good.” Tommy Crummy also of Bemidji State is sitting second after the first day in the men's decathlon. Crummy has 3,125 points, Jon Dickey of Wayne State College is third with 3,060 points. Brady Lesnar of Northern State is well within striking distance after day one. Lesnar is tied for fourth place with Cody Bendickson of Minnesota State Moorhead. Both athletes have 2,985 points. “Brady had a pretty decent day. He really had one thing he would have liked to correct,” Fuller said. “He fouled on a pretty good long jump that he would have liked to have and did not get credit for that.” Rhegy Gehlo of Bemidji State is sixth, followed by Brian Schiller of the University of Mary and Cody Hageman of Northern State. Hageman has totalled 2,643 points after day one. “Cody competed the last two events in indoor (season) on a stress fracture so he had eight weeks off,” Fuller said. “Last week was his first meet. So he is just really coming back into it and yet at times he looked very good. He had some high jumps that looked pretty solid and he a long jump that looked pretty good that he fouled on, too.” Mickey Polley of Concordia-St. Paul is in ninth place with 2,264 points. The decathlon has 10 events. The 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump and the 400-meter dash took place on Monday. Today, the remaining five events include the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run. “Brady has to be consistent. He has to run through his hurdle race,” Fuller said. “He can throw, he can vault and has to be positive about the 1,500-meter run. It is not his favorite event - he just has to be positive about it. “(Cody) has got some pretty good events (today). He is a big pole vaulter, he can throw the discus, he can throw the javelin. He will run his guts out in the 1,500. If he can survive those hurdles he will fight his way in there for a place. I know he will.” Women's division: After Roemer, Brianna Perry is sitting second with 2,633 points in the women's heptathlon. Jade Lippman of Wayne State College is third followed by Kaitlyn Jensen of Winona State, Ashley Grammens of Mary, Rebecca Hougen of Bemidji State. Tanya Vassar and Laura Smith both of Northern State are seventh and eighth respectively. Vassar has 2,257 points and Smith has 2,220 points. “Laura had surgery between indoor and outdoor,” Fuller said, “and take five weeks off from training and you are not quite as crisp as she would want to be. She did not have great marks in anything, but she did not have disasters either; and, actually, her 200-meter dash that is one of the better 200s she has run. She is fit, but I think technically she is not quite perfect yet.” Alyssa Lammers of Winona State and Pearl Walker of Bemidji State University round out the field. Lammers is sitting ninth and Walker is 10th. The heptathlon has seven events. The 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200-meter dash took place on Monday. The women will finish their competition with the long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter run today. Fuller said his women athletes could make a jump in the standings today. “They are both pretty good javelin throwers and they are both pretty good 800-meter runners,” Fuller said. “I don't think either of them enjoy the 800, but they are both pretty good at it. So I would say two of their three events they are pretty good at. Tanya has shown some improvements in the long jump. So I know she is looking forward to jumping.” The NSIC Multi-Event will conclude today at Swisher Field with the men's decathlon starting at 10 a.m. and the women's heptathlon starting at 10:30 a.m. WOMEN'S HEPTATHLON 1, Ashley Roemer, MSU-Moorhead, 2,869 points: 100-meter hurdles, :15.89, 728 points; high jump, 5-8 , 903 points; shot put, 31-3 , 499 points; 200-meter dash, :26.68, 739 points. 2, Brianna Perry, University of Mary, 2,633 points: 100-meter hurdles, :15.47, 781 points; high jump, 5-1 , 689 points; shot put, 30-8 , 487 points; 200-meter dash, :27.43, 676 points. 3, Jade Lippman, Wayne State College, 2,556 points: 100-meter hurdles, :16.25, 684 points; high jump, 5-1 , 689 points; shot put, 30-8 , 488 points; 200-meter dash, :27.20, 695 points. 4, Kaitlyn Jensen, Winona State, 2,429 points: 100-meter hurdles, :16.10, 702 points; high jump, 4-11, 621 points; shot put, 28-11 , 453 points; 200-meter dash, :27.72, 653 points. 5, Ashley Grammens, University of Mary, 2,378 points: 100-meter hurdles, :17.69, 521 points; high jump, 5-2 , 724 points; shot put, 31-3, 498 points; 200-meter dash, :27.95, 635 points. 6, Rebecca Hougen, Bemidji State, 2,292 points: 100-meter hurdles, :15.95, 720 points; high jump, 4-7 , 523 points; shot put, 27-4, 421 points; 200-meter dash, :28.04, 628 points. 7, Tanya Vassar, Northern State, 2,257 points: 100-meter hurdles, :16.92, 606 points; high jump, 5-0 , 655 points; shot put, 29-3 , 459 points; 200-meter dash, :29.23, 537 points. 8, Laura Smith, Northern State, 2,220 points: 100-meter hurdles, :17.24, 570 points; high jump, 4-11, 621 points; shot put, 29-5 , 462 points; 200-meter dash, :28.83, 567 points. 9, Alyssa Lammers, Winona State, 1,956 points: 100-meter hurdles, :18.51, 437 points; high jump, 4-11, 621 points; shot put, 21-10 , 313 points; 200-meter dash, :28.59, 585 points. 10, Pearl Walker, Bemidji State, 1,836 points: 100-meter hurdles, :17.86, 503 points; high jump, 4-2 , 399 points; shot put, 25-2, 378 points; 200-meter dash, :28.97, 556 points. MEN'S DECATHLON 1, Zac Preble, Bemidji State, 3,464 points: 100-meter dash, :11.44, 765 points; long jump, 20-5 , 637 points; shot put, 46-10 , 746 points; high jump, 5-8, 569 points; 400-meter dash, :51.50, 747 points. 2, Tommy Crummy, Bemidji State, 3,125 points: 100-meter dash, :11.43, 767 points; long jump, 20-10 , 666 points; shot put, 30-10 , 450 points; high jump, 6-0 , 670 points; 400-meter dash, :55.68, 572 points. 3, Jon Dickey, Wayne State College, 3,060 points: 100-meter dash, :11.75, 701 points; long jump, 18-8 , 523 points; shot put, 34-11, 524 points; high jump, 5-11 , 644 points; 400-meter dash, :53.32, 668 points. 4, Brady Lesnar, Northern State, 2,985 points: 100-meter dash, :11.84, 683 points; long jump, 19-2 , 556 points; shot put, 36-3, 549 points; high jump, 5-9 , 593 points; 400-meter dash, :54.86, 604 points. 4, Cody Bendickson, MSU-Moorhead, 2,985 points: 100-meter dash, :12.11, 629 points; long jump, 19-5 , 569 points; shot put, 34-5, 515 points; high jump, 5-11 , 644 points; 400-meter dash, :54.29, 628 points. 6, Rhegy Gehlo, Bemidji State, 2,870 points: 100-meter dash, :11.73, 705 points; long jump, 17-8, 457 points; shot put, 38-5 , 589 points; high jump, 5-2 , 449 points; 400-meter dash, :53.27, 670 points. 7, Brian Schiller, University of Mary, 2,850 points: 100-meter dash, :11.72, 707 points; long jump, 19-2 , 556 points; shot put, 28-0, 398 points; high jump, 5-9 , 593 points; 400-meter dash, :55.07, 596 points. 8, Cody Hageman, Northern State, 2,643 points: 100-meter dash, :12.31, 591 points; long jump, 18-1, 483 points; shot put, 34-5, 515 points; high jump, 5-7, 544 points; 400-meter dash, :57.28, 510 points. 9, Mickey Polley, Concordia-St. Paul, 2,264 points: 100-meter dash, :12.51, 554 points; long jump, 16-7 , 396 points; shot put, 30-6 , 444 points; high jump, 4-11 , 404 points; 400-meter dash, :58.50, 466 points.